Diriyah Historic Region
Welcome to Ad Diriyah, birthplace of the first Saudi state, historical crossroads of pilgrims and traders, and home to one of the Kingdom’s most ambitious heritage developments.
Curved along the outskirts of Riyadh, and formed on the oasis that spilt from the banks of Wadi Hanifa, Ad Diriyah’s mud-brick walls once housed a thriving desert city that was a powerhouse of culture and commerce. Its Al Turaif district, the area’s citadel-marked primary quarter, was the original seat of power for the Kingdom’s Al Saud family. In 1745, the city was named the country’s capital, laying the foundations for what would later become a unified Saudi Arabia.